Reunited
by Yuaki1707
Summary: They were best friends until they broke apart. 5 years later,they meet again. What will happen between them? NejiTen
1. Chapter 1

Reunited

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND THE COVER IMAGE!**

**Note: They are 23 in this story. This is set in the modern world. **

I was in my room getting ready for a party that my friend Ino (a successful model) invited me to. I decided to wear a leopard pattern dress with some black heels. I added a pair of golden hoop earrings, a few dangly bracelets and a necklace with a golden heart pendant. I decided to leave my wavy, brown hair down. I took one last glance at the mirror before I went to the party.

When I arrived, I could hear the music from outside. I entered the large house and searched for my friends. I found Sakura quite easily because of her pink hair. Sakura's a famous make-up artist. Her job is one of the reasons why Ino and she get along so well.

Next to Sakura were Ino and my other best friend, Hinata. Hinata is a hairdresser and stylist. She has her own salon and she and the store are famous, just like Ino, Sakura and I. For myself, I'm a famous dancer. Lots of people want me in their music videos, tv shows, broadways and other stuff that involved dance.

"Hey girls," I greeted them cheerfully. They spun around to look who talked. When they saw me their faces immediately broke out into smiles.

"TenTen! So you decided to come. By the way, I love the outfit," Ino said. I laughed in response and we just stood there, talking and just having some fun.

"Girls, I'm gonna go to the dance floor for a while," I told them. They nodded and I walked over to the dance floor. I started to dance, moving to the beat and just doing what I do best. After a few songs, I decided to sit on one of the couches in the corner of the room. There was already someone sitting on the couch as I started to walk towards it. I sat next to (what looked like) the young man and crossed one of my legs over the other.

After a while, I got bored, so I decided to start a conversation with the guy who sat next to me. "Hi," I said cheerfully. When he looked at me, I gasped in surprise. Sure, he may have grown over five years, but I could never forget that face; especially those eyes. His milky, white eyes stared into my chocolate brown ones. After I regained myself from the shock, I decided to speak again.

"Neji, how have you been? Five years is a long time," I said to him.

"I've been well. I've become a fashion designer. Well, you should know, since you're wearing one of my designs," he told me in that smooth and sexy baritone voice. Wait..._sexy_…..where the hell did that come from!?

"This dress is one of my favourites. I like it because I can move around in it very easily." He nodded and his eyes skimmed my outfit, looking at every detail. His eyes locked on mine again.

"How have you been?"

"Great! I've become a dancer if you haven't heard," I answered.

He nodded again and gave me that I'm-better-than-you smirk. "I know. Hinata has told me a few things, but I decided to live by myself now. The silence helps me when I sketch new designs. Actually, why don't you come over tomorrow? We can catch up a bit while I can show you some of my designs since you seem to be fond of them," he said. I smiled sincerely at him.

"I'd like that." He grabbed a business card from his pocket and handed it to me.

_Neji Hyuga Designs_

_28 Tonrevo Avenue_

_Ph: 580906228_

(**This address and phone number were made up randomly).**

"Be there at one," he told me before walking off and I decided that I should go home and get some sleep. I texted my friends, telling them that I left the party, so that they wouldn't worry. When I arrived home, I did the usual and then slipped under my warm sheets and drifted off to sleep. One thought stayed in mind: _I can't wait for tomorrow._


	2. Chapter 2

Reunited

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND THE COVER IMAGE!**

I heard the alarm clock starting its usual routine of waking me up. I blinked a couple of times, adjusting to the light that shone through my window. I slowly got up and went into my bathroom, looking at my reflection in the mirror. I had blue lines under my eyes from the lack of sleep. My hair was messy and went in every direction possible. I frowned at myself. I took a shower, combed my hair and did the usual. I decided to wear a black t-shirt with some cargo shorts and some black converse. I put my hair in my usual two buns and walked out the door.

-At Neji's House-

I rang the doorbell and waited. A couple of seconds later, the door opened and Neji stood in its frame. He looked stunning; he was wearing a white shirt covered with a leather jacket and some black jeans. It was simple, stylish and sexy..._Since when did I think he was sexy?!_

We went into his office with was decorated with a filing cabinet, a desk with papers piled neatly on the side and some chairs. "Please sit down. Would you like anything to drink?" he asked me. I nodded and he left the room. While he was gone, I decided to have a look at the papers on his desk. I wasn't surprised when I saw some designs, a few bills and some printed e-mails. I took a piece of paper and looked at the design.

To say I was amazed was probably an understatement. Fascinated would be closer. "Do you like it?" I gasped when I heard his voice whisper into my ear. I turned around and looked at him. In his hands were two glasses of water that he brought with him from downstairs. I remembered his question and I looked back at the design.

"Yes, I do. It's simple yet beautiful," I answered. I looked back to him and saw a ghost of a smile. He took the design off me and looked at it again.

"I've started making it, but it needs a few adjustments and finishing touches." He looked back at me and stared into my eyes. I couldn't help but stare back into those milky orbs. They were so mesmerizing. I saw him smirk a little before he spoke again. "If you would act as my mannequin, I could get it done today and you would be able to keep it."

He waited for my reply as the words sunk into my head. I was stunned! This design wasn't even in stores, but he would let me have it as long as I'll be his mannequin for the dress. I smiled and nodded in agreement. He placed the glasses of water onto his desk and then walked out the door while saying, "Follow me." I did as he said and followed him through several corridors.

We stopped in a room filled with fabric, sewing machines, mannequins with unfinished designs on them, papers with designs on them and more. "Shall we start?" he asked. I nodded and followed his instructions. While he was working on the dress, we chatted about everything that came to our minds.

After a few hours, it was finally complete. I looked into the large mirror in front of me, admiring the reflection that looked back at me. "Do you like it?" he asked from behind me. I turned around and looked at him. He had taken off his jacket while he was working. His eyes were staring into mine, as he waited for an answer. I smiled warmly at him.

"I don't just like it, I love it! Neji, you're amazing. The fabric, the colour, the design! Every part of it is perfect. Thank you, Neji." He gave a small smile and then looked over me again. Suddenly he was walking circles around me looking at every detail very closely. When he stopped in front of me again, he suddenly frowned.

"What's wrong?" I said to him. He looked me in the eyes and gave me one of his infamous smirks. He silently walked behind me again, but stayed there longer than before. _He better not be looking at my butt. Then again, the Neji I knew was such a gentleman; he would never be a perv._ The next thing I knew, I felt something drop down to my waist. When I realized what happened, Neji was standing in front of me again.

"Much better," I heard him mumble. I lifted my hands, letting my fingertips run through my recently released chocolate waves of hair. When I looked back into the mirror, I saw what he meant. My hair seemed to compliment the dress a lot more and dare I say it…_it made me look a lot hotter_.

I did a few more turns and poses in the dress before I decided to get changed. When I was ready, Neji led me to the door. He handed me a bag in which the newly made dress was in. "Thank you again Neji. I guess I'll see you around. Good night," I said and gave him a light hug.

To my surprise, he hugged me back and whispered into my ear, "It was nice to see you again. A good night to you as well." With that said, he pulled away and entered his house again. I called a taxi and drove home.

_I hope to see you again very soon Neji Hyuga._


	3. Chapter 3

Reunited

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND THE COVER IMAGE!**

It was Sunday, which was the day that I hung out with Ino, Sakura and Hinata. We met at a café and ordered a mug of coffee and a small dessert each. "So, TenTen, how was yesterday with Neji?" Ino asked me. To say I was shocked would be an understatement; totally flabbergasted was better. How did she know that I was with Neji? I didn't tell a soul about us hanging out together.

"How do you know about that?"

Sakura scoffed and told me, "Everyone knows TenTen."

"How?" I didn't understand! How do they suddenly know? Hinata grabbed a magazine from her bag and held it out to me. I took it from her and looked at the picture on the front page. It was Neji and I hugging at the front of his house. I then looked at the title.

**Secret Meeting! Old Friends Meet Again!**

What's supposed to be a secret? They put it all out there for everyone to see. It's one of the things I hate about being famous. There's always Paparazzi that try to find out the latest gossip or make it up. Escaping my thoughts, I flipped to the page that showed the article about Neji and me.

_**This photo was taken yesterday evening at the house of Neji Hyuga (one of the best designers in the continent). He was hugging the famous dancer known as TenTen. According to some sources, they were best friends in high school, but it's unknown what broke their friendship. They were seen talking at a party the night before. So everyone wants to know! What's going between these two? At the moment it's a mystery, but we'll keep you posted!**_

I read it two more times before I put the magazine back on the table. "So what happened?" Ino asked again. I knew I wouldn't be able to get out of it.

"He invited me to his house and we talked while he made a dress that he gave to me. We hugged when we said goodbye and then I went home." I looked at the girls' reaction. Ino looked half shocked, half happy. Sakura just looked at me, still processing what I said. Hinata gave a light smile.

"TenTen, what exactly happened in high school that broke your friendship with him?" Sakura asked curiously. I looked down at my coffee while going down memory lane.

"He humiliated me in front of the whole school just so he could be popular." I heard the girls gasp and Hinata gave me a soft reassuring hug. I kept staring at my coffee, distant, remembering one of the worst moments in my life. I didn't talk to anyone that year anymore and my grades dropped dramatically. I remember my teachers assigning me tutors but I never showed up for them to help me get my grades back up.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Ino speak. "I don't get it. If he was so mean to you, then why did you talk to him and go to his house and let alone hug him?" I sighed. She had a good question and I'd probably ask the same thing if I were her. So why did I do those things? Why did I act like our friendship never broke? Why did I forgive him so easily? Was it because I was in love with him back in high school? Am I still in love with him now?

"I don't know. Maybe it's because I used to be in love with him back then and I never really wanted him to stop being my friend in the first place." The girls stayed silent for a while until they decided to change the topic. After a while, I told them that I needed to go practice some new routines and left to the dance studio.

I was almost there until a reporter came out of nowhere and started to ask me some questions about my relationship with Neji (if you could call it that). "So when did you meet him again?" the reporter started as I continued walking to the dance studio. I sighed. I knew there was no way out of this.

"I saw him at a party on Friday." I replied. She nodded, writing down my answer in a notepad while trying to keep up with me.

"So what happened at his house yesterday?"

"We talked about stuff and he made a dress while we were talking," I said. I knew I was leaving out a few details, but she didn't need to know that.

"Are you two in a relationship?" She asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"No, we're just friends," I told her. She nodded again.

"Final question. What broke your friendship with him when you were both in high school?" I froze on the spot and repeated the question in my head. What should I tell her? The truth? No, Neji would hate me if I told her what really happened. Not only would it break the friendship we just re-established, but it would give him a bad title, that could ruin his career. So my only other option was to lie. Only what could I tell her that she would believe?

"We just had a lot of work on our hands and saw each other less and less," I lied. She scribbled down my answer into her note pad. She looked at me and smiled, thanking me for my time. She then walked away, her heels clicking on the pavement.

I entered the studio and walked over to the CD player. I looked through the piles of CDs next to the player and decided to go with the PussyCat Dolls. I pressed play and turned up the volume, letting the music echo through the room. I let the rhythm run through my body, letting it take over. I danced for so long that I didn't notice how late it had become. Once I realized that it was already late evening, I decided to finish my dance session.

I grabbed my bag and walked out of the studio. The stars shone brightly and I decided to walk home instead of trying to call a cab. As I turned the corner, I could see a man leaning against a wall, a bottle of alcohol in his hand. It looked like he saw me as well, because he started approaching me.

As he got closer, I could smell the alcohol coming from him. He definitely was drunk and I didn't want to stick around to see the effects of what it might do to him. "Hey, hot stuff! How about we get some action?" I wrinkled my nose in disgust from the overwhelming scent of alcohol.

"No thanks." I tried to walk past him, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. He roughly pushed me against the wall, making my bag slip off my shoulder and land on the ground. My eyes widened in shock as he came closer towards me. Before I knew what was happening, he kissed me. I was still so shocked that I didn't know how to react.

Suddenly he pulled away and slapped me, angrily shouting, "Kiss back or you'll regret it!" Before I had time to respond, he claimed my lips again. Tears started to fall from my eyes as I kissed back, not wanting to feel pain again.

"Let her go!" I heard a cold, demanding voice say. My tears had blurred my vision and I could only see the outline of a person. I blinked a couple of times, holding back the rest of tears that were threatening to escape. My vision became clearer and I saw him.

"What if I don't? What are you gonna do about it?" the drunk man sneered. Milky eyes narrowed dangerously and I could see his hands balling into fists.

"I'm going to make you experience a world of pain," he answered back firmly. The man let go of me and ran towards Neji. Neji dodged the man's attack and sent his fist into the man's face. While he was trying to recover, Neji gave him a hard kick to the head, knocking the man unconscious.

Neji walked towards me and asked, "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" His voice sounded worried and his eyes were scanning my body for wounds. Before I knew what I did, I lunged myself at him and hugged him tightly. My arms were hooked around his neck and my face was buried in his chest. New tears had come and stained his shirt. He stiffened at the sudden contact, but relaxed and put an arm around my waist to hold me closer whilst the other made soothing circles on my back.

"Shh. It's okay, Ten. He's unconscious and he won't hurt you again; I promise. Everything will be fine, Ten. I'm here to protect you," he whispered. I missed him calling me that. His voice soothed me and I relaxed, my tears coming to an end. I thanked him and he called for a cab. We sat next to each other, my head leaning on his shoulder. I felt totally exhausted, so I shut my eyes and fell asleep, not before feeling a light kiss on my forehead and him whispering, "Good night and sweet dreams."


	4. Chapter 4

Reunited

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND THE COVER IMAGE!**

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that I wasn't in my room. My room's walls were dark blue whilst this room was coloured in a deep red and decorated with black furniture. Next thing I noticed was that it was 9am (thanks to the alarm clock on the bedside table). I got off the bed and opened the door, trying to figure out whose house I was in. I went to the door next to mine and opened it. Nothing. I was just about to leave when I heard something coming from the room. I slowly went inside and found a door built into the room. _Must be a bathroom for this bedroom._ I decided I should go outside and wait for the person to finish showering (the noise I must have heard from before).

I sat on the bed and waited for the person to come out. If I would have known what was about to happen, I would have waited in the room I was in before. Standing before me was Neji with only a towel around his waist; he looked really hot, but I didn't think he was appreciating me ogling him. I blushed a new colour of red that probably hasn't even been invented yet. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" I kept repeating. He just smirked and stepped closer to me.

He gave me a sincere smile and hugged me. I gasped in surprise and hugged him back unsurely. He pulled away and grabbed my wrists, his eyes staring into mine. His brows were furrowed and his eyes showed concern. "Are you alright?" he asked in the softest voice I have ever heard from him.

I nodded and answered, "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" That's when it hit me. The events of last night replayed in my mind: the guy trying to take advantage of me, Neji saving me and falling asleep in the taxi. Neji must have seen the distant look in my eyes because he shook me lightly, bringing my thoughts back into the room.

"Ten, are you alright?" he repeated. I stared at him and nodded slowly.

"Yeah. Thanks for saving me, Neji." He gave me a little smile and I hugged him to show him that I was very grateful. To my surprise, he hugged me back and I felt my body explode from the sensation of our skins touching…then I remembered that he was still half naked. I quickly pushed him away, and looked at the door of the room. "I think you should put some clothes on." There was silence and then I heard him chuckle. I guess he wasn't as embarrassed as I was about the situation.

"Just wait here and I'll get changed." I obediently sat on his bed and waited for him to get changed in the bathroom. When he came back, he looked as stylish as ever. He grabbed my hand and dragged me to the kitchen. "What do you want for breakfast?" I shrugged my shoulders, telling him that I didn't mind. He opened the fridge and grabbed a few ingredients to make some omelets and they tasted amazing.

"TenTen, I have to work today. Would you like to come with me to the studio? Otherwise I will drive you home or wherever you need to go," he told me.

"I'd like to come with you." He nodded and sent me up the bathroom to refresh myself. As I came out of the bathroom, there is a set of clothes laid out on the bed. I smiled; he could be so nice and caring when he wanted to be. I looked at what clothes Neji picket out: a pair of black skinny jeans, a red and black halter top and some black ballet flats. I put the clothes on and looked in the mirror. After I was finished, I went back downstairs to see Neji waiting for me.

We got into his car and drove to the studio. While he drove, I texted my friends who texted me thirty-eight times and called me thirteen times. I told them that I was fine and that they didn't need to worry. After I sent the text, I got a call from Ino.

"Hey, Ino."

"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU? WHY DIDN'T YOU ANSWER OUR TEXTS OR CALLS? DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED WE WERE ABOUT YOU? WE WERE READY TO CALL THE POLICE!" Ino yelled. I had to move my phone away from my ear to try and stop my ears from bleeding from her loud voice.

"Ino, I'm fine. I was at a friend's house and I didn't answer your texts or calls because my phone was turned off. I'm sorry if I made you and the girls worry."

"WHICH FRIEND? WHY DID YOU HAVE YOUR PHONE TURNED OFF? HOW CAN YOU BE SO CARELESS?" Ino shouted on the other line. I cringed at how loud Ino was.

"Ino, please calm down and stop shouting. I had my phone turned off because I wanted some quiet time. Besides, how was I supposed to know that you and the girls would be calling me? By the way, why did you call me yesterday?"

"You won't believe this! Neji Hyuga has a fashion show coming up and I got us four tickets for front row seats! AHHHHH!" Ino exclaimed excitedly. I knew that she was probably jumping up and down at home. She probably forgot what I told her about our past relationship (if you could call it that).

"I don't know if I can come, Ino. If you forgot, the recording for that new music video is starting soon. Maybe when another fashion show is on," I told her.

"TenTen, this opportunity only happens once in a lifetime. Please come with us. I'm sure you can reschedule the music video for another day," Ino whined. I sighed; when Ino was set on something, it was impossible to change her mind. Sometimes I wished she wasn't so stubborn.

"I'll see what I can do, but I won't promise anything. I'll call the producer and see if I can reschedule. I'll call you later." I hung up and sighed again. Sometimes I had to wonder how I managed to be friends with Ino. She sometimes drove me absolutely insane and we often were complete opposites, but somehow we managed to be friends for years.

"Ino? As in the model, Ino Yamanaka?" I turned and saw Neji. His eyes were completely focused on mine; had I ever mentioned how gorgeous his eyes are? Such a beautiful silver with a light hint of lavender. I always felt like they looked straight through me and into my soul. When we were friends back in high school, he could read me like no one else. I didn't even have to speak a word and he could already tell what I was feeling.

"Yeah, that's the one." He raised one of his eyebrows in question.

"Since when do you know her? Last time I checked, you hated talking to girls because they acted 'too girly' for you." I knew he was only curious, but for some reason, I took it as an insult. It sounded like he thought that I couldn't make friends with anyone of the female gender. How dare he?

Before I could stop myself, I was shouting at him. "Well, the last time I checked, I didn't need to have any girl friends because I had you. Then you decided to ditch me for the popular group. Let's not forget how you were the one who embarrassed me in front of the whole school because you thought you were too cool to be friends with me anymore." A couple of seconds passed before I realized what I said and I immediately regretted it. Sure, he was a jerk back then (and kind of still is), but he saved me from a guy that was going to rape me, gave me a free dress, comforted me when I needed it most and let me stay at his house.

Silence. Neji just stood in front of me and his eyes stared at me; they looked cold and distant. I bit my lip, almost drawing blood, waiting for him to say something. He blinked and the distant look was gone. Instead, his eyes looked guilty and upset.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you the way I did. It was wrong of me to push you to the side like you were trash. That was one of the biggest regrets I've ever had in my life. Every day I wondered what it would be like if I hadn't hurt you the way I did. Then I see you again at a party and you talk to me like nothing ever happened and like we were still best friends. That was the best feeling I had in years. I would never do that to you again, I promise."

He looked at me sincerely and slowly pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back and smiled softly. I missed this. Only Neji could make me feel like this; like everything in the world just fell into place. "Thank you. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I didn't mean to, but I just lost my temper," I whispered into his ear. He hugged me even tighter in response and his hand delicately pushed my head against his chest. I was calmly listening to his heartbeat when I felt his arm move from my waist. I lifted my head in question, to see him looking at his watch.

"Time to go to work."


	5. Chapter 5

Reunited

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND THE COVER IMAGE!**

His studio was amazing; the half-finished designs on mannequins, the different rolls of fabric and all the people bustling about. They were making adjustments to clothes, grabbing fabrics and pinning little details onto the designs. It was amazing.

"Wow," I whispered in awe. I saw Neji glance at me with a slight smirk of amusement before looking at the studio again. I saw a girl running up to Neji and stopping right in front of him. In her hands was a piece of glittery blue fabric.

"Good Morning, Mr. Hyuga. I was about to start the opening piece for the new collection, but we don't have the correct fabric here in the studio. What would you like me to do?" she asked frantically. I could see that she was stressed. I looked at Neji and saw that he looked completely calm.

"Call the fabric company and order the correct fabric. While you wait for them to deliver it, you can start on the red layered dress." She nodded her head and ran back to where she came from. It sure was hectic in here.

"Is it always this hectic?" I asked. He chuckled lightly and shook his head.

"No. My summer collection is supposed to be finished by Saturday. It's the fashion show that Ino was talking about on the phone." He said before he walked to a mannequin and studied it thoroughly. I followed him, trying to remember the conversation I had on the phone with Ino. I guess he heard everything since Ino couldn't help but shout everything she said to me. I turned my attention to the design on the mannequin. It was a yellow summer dress with floral patterns. It had a black layer of cloth underneath the yellow cloth that showed slightly at the bottom of the dress.

"It's gorgeous. The yellow and black contrast each other well." I commented. Neji nodded his head in agreement. He looked at the dress again and frowned.

"Kimeri, come here." The said girl immediately ran to Neji and waited for him to say something. "I want a loose, black sash around the waist." Kimeri nodded her head and grabbed a black piece of fabric from the nearby bench and started working on Neji's orders. I wondered if Neji noticed the small blush that Kiremi had when he was talking to her. I wouldn't be surprised if Neji liked her either. She had long blonde hair, light green eyes and sweet smile.

I nudged the brunette next to me, to gain his attention. He glanced at me and turned back to the next dress on another mannequin. "What is it?" he asked.

I pointed at Kiremi and said, "She's pretty, don't you think?"

He smirked lightly; I knew that wasn't a good sign. "Are you trying your matchmaking skills on me and my employee? You should know better, TenTen. Did you already forget what happened last time you tried to help me in my love life?" I pouted. The last time I tried my matchmaking skills on Neji, it didn't go so well. I set him up with Sakura, only to find out that a very jealous and over protective Uchiha was just about to ask her out. Sasuke didn't exactly take it well when Neji tried to explain what happened.

"At least I was able to get Sasuke and Sakura together. Now they're married and are gonna live happily ever after." He chuckled lightly at my attempted (cough_failed_cough) comeback.

"It left me with a black eye for a week. He also threatened me to stay away from Sakura or I wouldn't live to see another day. So, please leave me out of your match making ideas. Who knows how bad it might end this time," he told me.

"Who says it will end badly? For all you know, you could totally fall in love with her. You could get married and live a great life. Besides, she already seems to like you and you both like fashion. At least you'll have something to talk about." He sighed.

"Ten, if you really want to matchmake someone, why not try it for yourself?" he asked. _Because I only want you. I don't want to date anyone else._ I wouldn't say that out loud, of course. Since I couldn't find an answer, (he would know if I was lying to him) I walked away from him and looked at some of the other designs. I could feel Neji's eyes on my back and it was making me nervous. I was so deep in thought, I hadn't realized someone was standing in front of me. It was a man (and a pretty hot one at that) that looked to be about my age. Okay, so I only want to date Neji, but I could make an exception, right?


	6. Chapter 6

Reunited

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND THE COVER IMAGE!**

"Hey. I've never seen you here before. Are you new?" the hottie asked. I blushed lightly when I heard his voice, accompanied by a gorgeous smile. _Not as stunning as Neji's smile._ I shook the thought out of my head. It's been like this for years. Every time I dated someone, I always subconsciously compared them to Neji. I felt like I was cheating on them, even though I would never be able to do that. I smiled at the man in front of me.

"I don't work here. I'm just visiting. By the way, I'm TenTen." I held out my hand, waiting for him to shake it.

Instead, he kissed the back of it lightly and said, "I'm Kankuro. Very pleased to meet you." I blushed; no guy had ever done that to me and I would be lying if I said that I disliked it.

"Kankuro, I'm sure you have something better to do than flirt with my friend," Neji said from behind me. I saw Kankuro frown at Neji before smiling at me.

"You heard him, I gotta go. I'd love to take you out sometime, though. How about tonight at seven? There's a new restaurant that's opened around here." Should I? I mean, I haven't dated in a while because I was set on getting Neji to be my boyfriend. _Not like that's gonna happen anytime soon._

"I'd love to. I'll meet you there." Kankuro smiled and left me alone with Neji. I turned around and frowned at him. I gave him my best glare and put my hands on my hips. I knew I could never be as intimidating as Neji, but I can try, right?

"What?" he asked innocently. As cute as it may have looked, I was starting to lose my temper.

"Don't try to act innocent, Hyuga. Why were you so cold to Kankuro. He was being such a gentleman and then you came and acted like a jerk!" That probably wasn't the best thing to say, especially with his co-workers around. Then again, he kinda deserved it. Neji glared at me, took my wrist and dragged me into his office. "Let go of me, you jerk." He didn't let go of my wrist, but just pulled me closer so our noses were almost touching. I could feel his breath on my face. This was probably not the best time to start blushing like a complete idiot.

"Don't you dare say something like that in front of my staff again. I have my reasons for acting like a jerk, but you wouldn't know because you never wait to hear the other side of the story. Just so you know, I was going to tell you that Kankuro is known to be a player and not care less about a single girl he's dated or had a one-night stand with. I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't fall for his stupid tricks and get your heart broken. I'm trying to protect you, TenTen."

I gasped in surprise and couldn't stop gaping. I never knew Neji could be so protective or care so much for someone else's emotions. He let go of my wrists and walked out of his office. I walked after him and saw him talking to Kiremi. I know he said it would be no good, but I'm a bit of a risk taker, so I decided to try my matchmaking skills. I walked over to them and said, "You know, you two look really cute together. Are you dating?" I decided to act a bit clueless since Kiremi didn't have to know that I already knew the answer to that question. She blushed faintly but I could see it and I'm sure Neji did too.

"N-no, he's my boss," Kiremi stuttered. I saw Neji give me a glare, but I decided to keep going. I gave them a confused look.

"Really? You two looked so comfortable and sweet with each other. I was sure you two had something going on." Kiremi blushed redder than before and Neji gave me an even scarier glare. Too bad it didn't have an effect on me since I'm used to seeing them.

"U-um, I don't mean to be rude ma'am, but I don't recall ever meeting you before," Kiremi stated. I looked at her and realized she was right. The last time, she rushed off before I could tell her my name.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself; I'm TenTen. Neji's a friend of mine and invited me over to see what he normally does." I held out my hand and Kiremi shook it whilst introducing herself. Before I could try teasing them some more, the clock on the wall chimed and I saw that it was already twelve.

"I'm really sorry, but I have to go. I'm supposed to be meeting one of my friends. He gets quite annoyed when someone is late to meet him."

"Who's him?" Neji asked. I looked at him, surprised at his curiosity. Normally he wouldn't ask things like that, but then his words rang back in my head. _I'm trying to protect you, TenTen._

"Don't worry, he's a good friend. Well, I gotta go." I was about to go out the door before I remembered something. I quickly ran back to Neji and hugged him. He stiffened from the sudden contact and before he could hug me back, I already let go.

"That was my way of saying thank you for looking out for me." With that said, I ran out of the studio and called a taxi, driving to my friend's house (more like mansion).


	7. Chapter 7

Reunited

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND THE COVER IMAGE!**

I arrived at the mansion and rang the doorbell. I waited a while before the door opened and pitch black eyes looked into mine. "TenTen, it's nice to see you again."

"You too, Itachi. Is Sasuke here?" Itachi nodded and opened the door wider, to let me in. I noticed a hickey mark on his neck and smirked. His girlfriend sure had some sharp teeth. "So you're on good terms again?" He knew what I was talking about and nodded.

"Her brother is still kind of against it, but I'm certain that time will make him okay with it." I laughed, as I imagined Kiba trying to fight Itachi. Kiba was a pretty good fighter, but nothing compared to Itachi. Itachi was a black belt in karate, judo, taekwondo and almost any other form of martial arts. Kiba would've gotten beaten in a second, but Itachi wouldn't try hurting him and get his sister upset. He loved her too much to do that.

"So when are you going to propose?" It was meant as a little joke, but I knew that he was seriously thinking of marrying Hana.

"Hopefully, very soon." Before we could continue our conversation, Sasuke came down the stairs and gave a nod to acknowledge my presence. We walked to the couches in the living room and sat on the black leather. Itachi said that he needed to go out and I was sure that he was meeting Hana.

"Would you help me with the next photo shoot? I know you don't really like modelling, but I don't like Ino's flirtatiousness." I nodded in agreement and he told me the details. It was supposed to be a cover for a magazine and a poster for his upcoming movie. Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that Sasuke is an actor/model. Itachi occasionally modelled and acted as well, but not as often as Sasuke. We talked some more about our usual lifes (and trying to tease him about Sakura). I told him about meeting Neji again and he gave me some advice on how a guy's mind worked (even though I already had a good grasp on that). Sasuke drove me back to my house, only to see Neji leaning against the front door.

I waved good bye to Sasuke and he drove off. "Care to explain what you're doing here?" I asked Neji. He held up a bag and when I looked inside, I found my clothes that I wore last night. I thanked him and invited him into my house, which he accepted. He sat on one of the couches in the living room and I went into the kitchen to make something to drink. "Tea or coffee?"

"Tea, please. Preferably peppermint." I nodded and turned on the kettle and grabbed two cups out of the cupboard. When it was ready, I passed a cup to him and I sat next to him on the couch, with my cup.

"How was the rest of work?"

"Fine." I sighed at his one word answer, but I guess I was kinda used to it. Then I realised that it wasn't just because he barely talked anyway.

"Are you still mad at me for not telling you that I was meeting Sasuke?" I asked. He shook his head and placed his tea cup on the table in front of us. I followed his motion and put my cup down as well. I decided to try my luck and rested my head on his lap. I was surprised when he didn't tell me to get off but instead took out my hair bands and played with my hair.

"I'm not mad. I was just worried. After what happened last night, I didn't want to just let you go off on your own. I know you're skilled enough to defend yourself and that Sasuke nor his brother would try anything on you, but it didn't help me calm down nor stop worrying." I smiled at how sweet Neji was acting. It was rare to see him like this, dropping his walls and letting people see what he was really thinking or feeling.

"Thank you for caring, Neji. It's nice to see that you still worry about me like you used to." He gave me a soft smile and leaned back onto the couch, showing that he was relaxing a bit. He still continued to stroke my hair and we were letting the silence take over...until Ino, Sakura and Hinata decided to barge in. _I knew I should've never given them that spare key to my house._

"TENTEN! YOU DIDN'T ANSWER YOUR PHONE AGAIN! DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS!? YOU ARE SO...oh, you have a visitor." I sighed. Ino sometimes (always) yelled before she knew the whole story. Now, three, two, one..."OH MY GOSH! NEJI HYUGA! I'M SUCH A HUGE FAN OF YOUR CLOTHES!" I got off Neji's lap and sat on the couch.

"I didn't answer my phone because Sasuke hates interruptions when he speaks, so I turned it off. Afterwards, I forgot to turn my phone on again." They nodded in understanding and then Neji seemed to notice Hinata's presence.

"Hinata. It's been a while." She nodded and they had a small catch up talk and then I told all of them what I was talking about with Sasuke and what it was like to be in Neji's studio.

"So, why exactly did you bring your bags?" I asked once I noticed the duffle bags.

"We wanted to have a sleepover here," Sakura said. I agreed, knowing that I wouldn't win an argument against Ino and Sakura. Even if they did prevail, Hinata would use her puppy dog eyes and no one (I really mean NO ONE) could resist that.

"I suppose I should go now," Neji said as he stood up from the couch. He opened the door and outside stood Naruto, Sasuke, Itachi, Hana and Kiba.

"Did I mention that I invited Hana and the other guys as well?" Sakura said behind me. I sighed and asked Neji to let them in.

"You might as well stay too, Neji." I was slightly nervous at the idea of Neji staying here, but it would be kinda mean to just let him leave when everyone else was here. Well, let the sleepover begin!


	8. Chapter 8

Reunited

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND THE COVER IMAGE!**

I decided to get in my pyjamas which were a black tank top and short shorts that just covered my butt. The girls wore similar things and the boys decided that they were going to sleep in loose pants and stay shirtless. I didn't mind, but being in a room with five super hot guys who seem to have been in the gym a lot (considering they all have six packs) can make a girl just a little bit uncomfortable.

We decided (more like Ino demanded) that we should play Truth or Dare in the living room. Itachi was sitting on the love seat with Hana on his lap. His arms were around her waist to make sure she didn't fall off his lap and land on the floor. Sasuke and Sakura were in a similar position on one of the couches. Next to them were Naruto and Ino. I was sitting on a couch next to Neji, who decided to keep an eye on Kiba, who was sitting next to Hinata (Neji was sitting next to Kiba). I knew Neji could be overprotective, but I thought it had stopped after he left the house and stopped living with his cousins. Guess I was wrong.

"Alright, I'll start. Hinata, truth or dare?" Ino said. I saw Hinata ponder for a while before answering with truth. The smirk on Ino's face made me pity Hinata. I knew she was going to ask something that would make Hinata uncomfortable. I knew she would probably just trying to play matchmaker, but the look on Hinata's face made it look like she was going to go through torture. "Which guy in this room would you prefer to kiss?" Hinata's blush must have rivalled the one that I had when I realised that I was in the room with Neji and he was only in a towel.

"Uh...um...K-Kiba," she stuttered. Man, am I glad that I wasn't in her shoes just then. Ino's truths and dares were always plain evil. Hinata looked around the room to figure out who to ask. Her glance landed on the younger Uchiha brother.

"Sauske, t-truth or d-dare?" The Uchiha immediately chose dare and Hinata went into thinking mode. "Play 'Honey if you love me, smile' with Sakura." Sasuke smirked and wrapped his arms around Sakura's waist tightly. He twisted her around so that she was facing him and leaned in, pretending to kiss her.

Instead, he leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Honey, if you love me, smile, Sa-ku-ra." Sakura blushed blood red and bit her lip to stop herself from smiling. "Don't you love me anymore?" he asked and pretended to be upset, which Sakura fell for in seconds. She immediately smiled and told him that she loved him over anything else.

After a few turns, Naruto asked me and I knew there would be trouble' he was just as mischievous as Ino when it came to truth or dare. It was probably because he used to be a prankster throughout his school life and you know what they say: 'Old habits die hard'. "Dare," I said. I knew I was gonna do something I didn't want either way, so I decided that I might as well make it worth it. Naruto's grin widened to the one from the Cheshire Cat in _Alice in Wonderland_. I had a bad feeling about this.

"I dare you to sleep in your own bed tonight." That didn't sound bad at all. "With Neji sharing it with you." I knew it was too early to celebrate. I grumbled a 'fine' and then we kept playing. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about sleeping in the same bed as Neji. I knew he wouldn't try anything on me, especially after what happened with the drunk guy that he had rescued me from. The only thing that helped me calm down was the fact that my bed was wide enough for two people, so we wouldn't have to be hugging each other to prevent us from falling off the bed.

I lay on one side of the bed and Neji lay on the other. We said good night to each other and everything was going well...until some lightning and thunder decided to scare the life out of me. Out of habit, I screamed and dragged the blanket over my head. I shivered and felt a few tears coming.

"Ten? Are you alright?" Before I could answer, another roar of thunder came and I whimpered. I heard Neji sigh and he pushed the blanket away so he could see my face. He looked worried when he saw how scared I was and the few tears that had escaped my eyes. His arm came around my waist and pulled me into his body whilst his other hand wiped away my tears and stroked my hair.

"Calm down. I'm right here and I won't let any harm come to you, just like I saved you from that drunk guy. I'm here for you. Just sleep, Ten." I relaxed at his soothing words and closed my eyes. Another roar of thunder and I jumped slightly but being near Neji comforted me. He continued to stroke my hair and I let myself fall asleep, knowing he would protect me from anything. Just before I let sleep take over, I mumbled a thank you to Neji. He kissed my forehead in response and then let his head rest on top of mine. I had never felt this save during the time of a thunderstorm before and I would never forget this moment. Who would've thoght that Naruto's dare would actually turn out to be good for me?


	9. Chapter 9

Reunited

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND THE COVER IMAGE!**

When I woke up, I felt something heavy around my waist. I looked up to see the peaceful face of a sleeping Neji Hyuga. He looked so vulnerable; a rare side that not many would see if he was awake. I then noticed that the heavy thing around my waist was his arm and when I tried to move it, he only held me closer.

"Neji, wake up. I need to get up and make everyone breakfast." I gently shook his shoulders and I got a groan as response. He slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the sunlight and then he looked at me. My words seemed to process in his mind and then he let go of me. I got off the bed and walked to my connected bathroom. Before I closed and locked the door, I turned back to him. "Thank you for last night. No one seems to be able to comfort me as well as you can." He gave me a soft smile, which in Neji-ish meant that he gladly helped me. I smiled in return and then turned on the shower.

When I got downstairs (wearing faded jeans and a loose black v-neck t-shirt), Neji was already in the kitchen whisking something in a bowl. I looked over the counter and it looked like a pancake mix. I got out a frying pan and turned on the stove. It wasn't the first time that Neji and I had made breakfast together and it always seemed nice. I don't know if it's because of the small conversations we used to have or the little jokes when one made an accident (like dropping and egg or flipping the pancake and making it land on the floor).

"Aw, it's the love birds. How was your night?" I knew Ino's teasing was going to come soon, but at eight in the morning? That's almost as bad as when she plays truth or dare. I decided to ignore her and kept flipping the pancake in the frying pan. I was doing a really good job until everyone else came downstairs and Ino decided to tell them that she took a photo last night of Neji and me. The pancake decided to fly so high that it stuck to the ceiling...and then it decided that because of gravity, it needed to drop back down...onto Neji's hair.

The room went entirely silent as they waited for Neji's reaction. Everyone knew that his hair was precious and anyone that dared to ruin it would suffer severe consequences. To make things even worse for myself, I accidentally let out a small laugh which Neji heard. I could sense the killing aura and I felt scared for my life. "I'm sorry, Neji. I really am sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise." His killing aura didn't disappear and he started approaching me.

"You'll make it up to me? Would you do anything?" His arms were crossed and his eyes looked angry yet mischievous. I knew I was going to regret this, but it was better than having an angry Hyuga trying to get revenge on me. I nodded my head and I knew it was my downfall when I saw his smirk. I gulped and I was starting to feel nervous. "I want you to be a model for my fashion show." _Hey, that's not too ba- WAIT, WHAT!? ME?! A MODEL?!_

"Y-you're joking right?! I don't know the first thing about being a model. It's better if you take Ino. She has a lot more experience and everyone knows her."

"Everyone knows you as well and I'm sure Ino can teach you how to model. You have three days to learn, so you might want to start soon." I knew that I had just entered a world of torture. Ino could be one of the best friends you could ever ask for, but there are times when it's hard to deal with her. I knew that she was going to push me to the limits...and she decided to start right now.

"Okay, we'll start tomorrow, 8:00am to 8:00pm. I'll have all the clothes, makeup and accessories. We will practice for all three days and get you ready."

_Welcome to Ino's world of torture. Next stop: hell._


	10. Chapter 10

Reunited

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND THE COVER IMAGE!**

These heels were killing me! I felt like one of Cinderella's stepsisters, trying to fit into a small glass slipper. My feet were aching, the dress was so tight that I could barely move and I had the strictest trainer you could get. "Start again! No! You need to walk in a straight line! Your arms are too stiff! We'll keep doing this until you get it right!" Ino shouted.

I groaned in frustration. This was torture and this was already the second day. I had one hour left before I could go home and I didn't know if I could walk after this. I turned around and started walking down the runway again. I posed at the end of the runway and then walked back. I waited for Ino to yell at me again, but she was just standing there with her mouth gaping.

"That was great! You finally did it, but we're still practicing again tomorrow. I'm going to send the video to Neji, so he can see your progress," Ino said. She was already texting on her phone and mumbling the words that her fingers were typing. I sighed in relief when Neji sent a text back. It was only one word, but it was satisfying enough: _Good_. He rarely gave compliments, so I knew that he thought I did well. I hugged Ino when she told me that I could finish early. I changed out of the dress and heels and put on some converse, a black halter top and black jeans.

I was going to call a cab when I noticed Neji leaning against his car. "I need to get you fitted for the dresses you'll be wearing tomorrow," he explained. I nodded and got inside his car. He drove us to the studio and I noticed that the lights were off.

"Why are the lights off? Aren't people still working?" Neji chuckled before he explained that all the designs had been finished. The only thing left to do was to get the clothes fitted for the models. He unlocked the doors and turned on the lights. I immediately saw how much neater everything looked compared to a few days ago. Some designs were on mannequins and the others were hanging on a clothing rack. Neji grabbed a red halter dress with a pink sash that was tied together at the back in a bow. I got changed behind a curtain and Neji got straight to work. He looked so focused and in control; he was in his element. Before I realised it, he had already handed me another dress to change into.

We were at it for a while and my phone said it was already 11:00pm. Neji offered to drive me home and I gladly accepted. We were sitting in silence until Neji decided to speak. "Are you sure you want to go through with this? I don't want our friendship to end because I made you feel uncomfortable doing something that you don't want to." When I looked at him, his eyes were still on the road. His eyes held a hint of concern, but it disappeared after he blinked and his eyes looked emotionless again. It was nice to know that he didn't want the past to repeat itself.

"It's fine. I'm actually kinda excited to do this. Besides, Ino wouldn't forgive me that I would throw away all her training at the last minute." He smirked at my attempt to cheer him up and lighten the mood a little. When we arrived at my house, I thanked Neji for the ride before going inside. The next day (aka: the last day of Ino's torture and the day of the fashion show), I practiced so much that I thought I would be incapable of moving my legs for the rest of the day.

At around lunch time, more people started to enter the room. Some were carrying clothes, others were looking at themselves in mirrors and others were texting on their phones. Then I noticed Neji come in with Kimeri and Kankuro. With Ino's constant training, I had to postpone our date. After what Neji had said about him, I didn't want to go on a date with him, but I had already accepted and I didn't want to call it off either.

Ino told me to take a break and I walked backstage to see people starting to set everything up. There was makeup across the tables, racks with clothing, jewellery on mannequins and shoes on tables. Someone came up to me, telling me to sit on one of the chairs. I did as I was told and the woman started applying makeup to my face. When she finished, she started curling my hair, making a messy bun and leaving some pieces of hair to frame my face. Another woman came into the room and screamed, "Ten minutes before we start! Hurry up!" Someone quickly threw me the red dress that Neji had fitted me for last night and I quickly got changed. The same woman gave me some heels and handed me some jewellery as well.

All the models lined themselves up in the order that they would go on. I heard the music start and some of the girls started walking onto the runway. I was taking deep breaths, trying to calm myself down when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Kankuro looking at me. He smiled before saying, "You'll be fine. Besides, you look stunning." I smiled at his comforting words and nodded. I turned back towards the direction of the runway and started walking. Kankuro's words were spinning in my head and I wondered if Neji was wrong about him. He didn't seem like a bad person at all.

I struck a pose before walking back. When I got backstage, someone grabbed me and hurried me to get changed into my next outfit. It was so hectic that I didn't see Neji for the whole show. I was back in a chair, getting my makeup removed and changing back into my normal clothes. I was walking towards Ino's car until Kimeri came running up to me.

"TenTen, you were great!" I smiled and thanked her for the compliment. Then I noticed that she was fiddling with her fingers and avoiding my eyes. She looked nervous and I wondered if the compliment was to butter me up.

"Are you alright?"

"U-umm...I-I was wondering if I could ask you for a f-favour."

"Sure, what do you need?"

"Well...um...what does Neji like in a girl?" My heart suddenly felt like it was being squeezed and my lungs seemed to have stopped giving me air. I faked a smile and hoped it looked real enough to her.

"He likes girls that aren't completely obsessed with the way they look. She needs to be kind and trustworthy. She needs to understand him and deal with his temper, even though he rarely shows his anger."

I could tell from her face that she was making mental notes about what I said. She smiled at me and thanked me. She ran off as quickly as she came and I sighed in relief. I didn't realise someone had been there until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw Ino as she pressed a button to unlock her car. I let her drive me home and the ride was silent. It was unusual for Ino, but she seemed to understand that I needed time to think. Those things I had said to Kimeri...I wondered if I had any of those qualities. Would Neji ever be able to love me? Do I want him to love me? Do I love him? I shook my head trying to get those thoughts out of my head.

When I crawled into my bed, I wondered if Kimeri would have the guts to ask Neji out. It had been obvious that she had feelings for him and I thought that Neji really needed a girlfriend. Then I remembered something else: _I have a date tomorrow with Kankuro._


	11. Chapter 11

Reunited

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND THE COVER IMAGE!**

Whoever decided to ring my doorbell this morning must have a death wish. I groaned and got out of bed. When I opened the door, a man stood in front of me and in his hands was a white box. He asked me to sign a sheet of paper, handed me the box and then was on his way. I closed the door and my curiosity got the better of me.I placed the box on my bed and lifted the lid. I gasped when I saw the red dress that I had worn yesterday in Neji's fashion show. I noticed a slip of paper and recognised the handwriting immediately.

_TenTen,_

_As a thank you for helping me yesterday. Good luck on your date with Kankuro._

_Neji_

_P.S. You wouldn't know the reason why Kimeri suddenly got this new confidence and won't stop clinging to me, would you?_

I smiled at the attempted humour and kindness he showed. I wondered if he genuinely meant the good luck for the date, but I didn't have the time to think about it. I needed to get ready for my date. It was seven and I was ready when the doorbell chimed. (_She is wearing the red dress and you can imagine the rest of her outfit)._We went to a nice restaurant and everything was going well. Kankuro was being nice, funny and he was great company.

"That's the dress from yesterday, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I received it this morning."

"You look great in it."

"Than-" Before I could finish, my mouth felt dry. My eyes felt watery and my fists were clenched on my lap. I won't deny it; Kimeri looked flawless. To top off her amazing looks, she seemed so comfortable with the man next to her. It was like she was meant to be by his side; he would call it fate.

Kimeri's eyes landed on Kankuro and I and she waved energetically. Noticing Kimeri's movements, his eyes followed the direction and his eyes met mine. I faked a smile and hoped it looked real enough to him. They walked over and she sat next to me whilst her companion sat across from her. _This can't be happening to me._

"Hi! TenTen. Thank you so much! Your advice worked!"

"I can see that. Congratulations." I tried to be cheerful, but it's hard when I'm on a date with someone that I don't want to be with. Then there's also the fact that the guy I want to be with is on a date with one of his employees.

Dinner basically consisted of Kimeri blabbering on and on about anything, Kankuro responding and me trying to avoid eye contact with Neji. When we exited the restaurant, Kankuro offered to drive me home, but I declined. I didn't expect him to offer Kimeri the same thing just after I rejected his offer.

"No, I want to go with Neji."

"Sorry, but I have some work to do. I'm driving home straight away."Kimeri knew just as well as I did that Neji's voice made it clear that he wouldn't change his mind. She nodded and said goodbye. I saw her blush and then I tried my best not to slap her. She kissed Neji. After she pulled away, she got into Kankuro's car. Kankuro followed her and drove off.The silence between Neji and I felt awkward. I could feel his eyes on me and I still tried to avoid eye contact.

"So, you were the reason she was so confident when she asked me out."

"Weren't you supposed to go home straight away?" I was trying to avoid the subject and he knew it.

"You know I was lying. Why would you go out with Kankuro after I told you that he was a player?" I could hear the hint of anger in his voice, but I tried to ignore it. An angry Neji was a scary Neji.

"After I accept a date, I don't just say it off; it makes me feel guilty." I didn't want to add the fact that I was trying to get my mind off the guy that was standing beside me right now. I heard him sigh and I hoped that meant that he would drop the topic.

"Would you like me to drive you home? I don't like the idea of leaving you here alone at night after what happened last time." I nodded my head and sat in the passenger seat whilst he sat behind the wheel. The drive was silent (like it often was between us), but this time it wasn't awkward like before.

When I stepped out of the car, Neji followed me to my doorstep. I turned to him and thanked him before unlocking my door. When I realised that I hadn't heard footsteps going back to the car, I turned around again and Neji was still standing there. I could see that something was troubling him when I looked into his eyes.Before I realised it, he had grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer. His chest was touching mine and I could feel his breath on my face. His mouth came closer and my mind couldn't think straight any more. I remember his mouth meeting mine and the next thing I noticed was a red mark on his cheek that resembled my hand.


	12. Chapter 12

Reunited

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND THE COVER IMAGE!**

_I did not just slap him! I did not just slap him! Damn, I just slapped him...hard._ First, my hand doesn't want to listen to me and now my mouth seems to have a mind of its own as well. "How dare you! You just went on a date with someone else and you decide that it's okay to kiss me! You're just as bad as you were back then!" I knew I had taken it too far with that last sentence.

His eyes showed guilt and anger; he was probably deciding if he should apologise or blame me for slapping him. "Why is it that every time I'm around you that I act like a complete idiot? I forget my morals and my brain seems to leave me. You're the only person I drop my guard around. I think...I know that I love you." I was gaping at what he had said. I had just yelled at him and then he told me that he was in love with me.

"What about going on that date with Kimeri?"

"I was trying to get over you because you seemed to like Kankuro."

"Why didn't you ask how I felt about him...or you?"

"I only just got you to be my friend again; I didn't want to risk losing you again. Besides, if Kankuro made you happy, then I would be happy for you."

"But he doesn't make me happy! Only one person can do that and I just slapped him in the face one minute ago! You can be so dense!"

"What?" He looked bewildered and I couldn't blame him. It's not every day I tell him that he was the one who usually made me happy.

"Why do you think I acted like nothing happened when I saw you again at that party?! I wanted us to be friends again! I wanted someone to make me happy again; no one can do it as well as you do."

"After everything I did and after I acted like a complete jerk, you forgive me?!"

"Of course, I forgive you! I don't want to live my life without you." His eyes softened at my words and he instantly hugged me. I buried my head in his chest while his chin rested on top of my head and his arms pulled me closer to him. It was like he was afraid that if he let go, I would disappear. I wrapped my arms around his waist, trying to reassure him that I (and my words) was real. I didn't know how long our hug lasted, but it was stopped when I suddenly tensed and broke away. Neji was confused by my actions and wondered what made me tense so suddenly.

"I can't do this to Kimeri. She was looking forward to the date you two had. She's loved you for a long time and I don't want to be the reason for her heartbreak." Neji looked surprised but at the same time a little frustrated and impatient.

"Screw Kimeri! Do what you want. Do you want to be with me or not?" He looked hopeful and a little desperate. He was right; screw Kimeri and let me be selfish for once. I've wanted to be with him for at least six years.

"On one condition."

"Anything."

"Don't you dare break off our relationship ever again."

"I promise." With that, he kissed me again and this time I kissed back. When he pulled away, I didn't slap him, but invited him inside. Like the night of the thunderstorm, we lay in my bed and cuddled together. Before I fell asleep, I could only think of one thing: _It's good to be reunited with you again, Neji._


End file.
